Landscape gardeners working four you to create employment and training

Reported by Maurice Chesworth 06/04/2012

FROM county hotels and village greens to council gardens and housing association open spaces a social enterprise is getting the work done for local organisations – and their latest new contract is with social housing company Impact.

As the spring weather heralds the start of the growing season new contracts
are sprouting for West Cumbria’s Works4You – and they are looking to create
more employment and training for local people by expanding their portfolio of
garden maintenance.

Winners of the 2012 Best Existing Social Enterprise of the Year in the CSEP
Awards, Works 4 You was established as a limited company, and became a
Social Enterprise in March 2006.

A limited company, they have received funding from the European Regional
Development Fund, and North West Development Agency, to develop the
management of the company.

Sheila Moffat, Works 4 You Ltd said: “The new contract with Impact Housing
will help us maintain the same high level of training and employment
opportunities for local people.

“We have already established contracts with other social housing providers
and councils, as well as with private firms and householders with large
domestic gardens.

“We are a charity and our aim is to use our profits to fund apprenticeship
programmes, which will give young people vital work experience on live
projects.

“Our apprentices may go on to work for us on other projects, or the
experience will give them the skills they need to set up their own business.

“The extra work that would be generated by having more apprentices on
board, will bring in more profit to fund further apprenticeship schemes, making
Works 4 You Ltd a self-sustaining business.

“We are governed by community directors who are unpaid, and any profit
generated by the company is gift aided to the charity Home to Work Ltd.”

As well as providing landscape gardening services to councils, housing
associations and parish councils, the company is also looking to take on
private contracts for larger garden maintenance as well as fencng, turfin and
hard landscaping.

Sheila added: “Works 4 You Ltd seek to offer high quality services to the
residents of West Cumbria. We seek to be good employers who offer
satisfying employment, training and development, and market rates of pay.”